That Princess In The Tower
by Crystalgurl101
Summary: She felt like that princess in the tower. The one that was trapped by the dragon and being forced to stay in her room. That's not how a girl was supposed to feel on her wedding day... Stan/Crys. MY COMEBACK STORY! PLEASE R&R. Rated T/M for F bombs.


**That Princess in the Tower**

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**A/N****: YOUR EYES DO NOT DECEIVE YOU! I **AM** ALIVE and this IS my long-overdue return!!! =D Ok, so I was kinda bored during my college vacation, and for some reason, I had this crazy urge to write something, **_**anything**_**. So I did. I wrote this in a week(because the writing usually took place under a flashlight at midnight until I passed out at 3:30). This is a romance one/shot between Stan and Crystal. For anyone whose not familiar with her, she's my OC. If you see my profile and my other stories, you can see I'm a bit of a veteran in this… xP Because its been so long, I almost killed myself over during the editing process. I'm such a freakin' perfectionist when it comes to my writing, so I hope my skills aren't too rusty. If they are, DON'T kill me over them! PS: The one/shot is pretty lengthy--actually, its **very **lengthy, about a quarter of it was 10 pages alone, so please bear with me. I tried cutting it down without taking too much out of it. I don't think I was very successful with that. -___- **

**Okay, long rant about my long overdue return over. For any old fans, hope you enjoy my one/shot. Anyone new who has no idea who I am, hope you like it as well.**** I like hearing new feedback. WARNING-- This one/shot is **_**extremely **_**fluffy, so try not to drown yourself in all the romance!**

**This fic is rated M--NOT FOR SEX! Rather, it is for the 3, or 4 F-bombs that the characters drop somewhere in the story.**

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Hamtaro, Stan, or anything involved in the show. I own Crystal though: she is the bitch, and I am her pimp! =D **

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The sounds of echoing footsteps in the hallway broke the silent peace in the air. The clicking of the heels in his dress shoes were muffled by the thick maroon carpet cushioned underneath him. He walked swiftly down the long corridor, his eyes scanning for anything that moved.

Moonlight poured through the towering glass windows in the hallway. The chandelier lights from the ceiling gleamed against the surface of a priceless ocean-blue vase. It was perched on a small wooden table that was pressed against the wall. Hanging above the table was a large mirror inside a carved, golden frame. As he passed the table, the blue glow from the vase seemed to reflect off his own sea-blue orbs.

One-by-one, he walked past the same wooden tables that lined the side of the hallway. His eyes stayed straight ahead, ignoring everything else around him. He could no longer hear the buzzing of the dinner party in the ballroom behind him. The thick double-doors had blocked out the music and the excited chattering of the other party-goers. He reached a corner and stopped. He looked both left and right, wondering where he should go. He spotted a glass wall to his right not too far ahead, and according to his instinct, it was something worth checking out if he wanted to reach his destination.

With a sigh, he turned his heel and continued his rushed pace. He dashed past several guests heading in the opposite direction, and mumbled a quick apology as he bumped into them. As he approached the large window, his eyes darted across the outside world. He stopped briefly.

The hotel garden was truly a sight. Flowers of almost every color sprouted happily from the green grass and the bushes. Several pine and other smaller trees stood majestically over the garden. Little twinkling lights lit up the dark branches. A cobblestone path cut between the grass, snaking it's way past the trees, the rose bushes and the bird fountains to the large marble water fountain located in the very center of the garden. Rose vines hugged the base. A pearl angel stood on a podium with small wings on its back, wearing a toga. It was holding a rose in one hand and a tipped over small basin in its other. It seemed to be looking up at the heavens, and offering a rose to whoever its attention was on. A stream of water poured out of the basin as well as from the four sides of the podium below. The water fell into the sparkling pool of water in the fountain. Several shiny coins could be spotted in the bottom of the pool. Lights were placed everywhere to give the garden that perfect, romantic glow.

But none of that seemed to even catch his interest. The only thing he could see beyond the natural beauty of the garden was the figure sitting alone on a white bench under the black night sky. His breath stopped, immediately recognizing her long brown hair and the pale pink gown she was wearing. The fabric made her glow under the moon, even though her back was to him. She sat alone, unmoving and uninterested.

He saw the door leading outside just a few feet away.

The wind bit at him, harshly reminding him it was December. His shoes clicked against the cobblestones as he walked. Somewhere in the garden, Christmas music was softly playing in the background.

His blue eyes spotted her as he got closer. He suddenly stopped when he heard her sobs and saw her body shaking. He paused, unsure of how to approach her. But she needed him, he could tell.

Slowly, he walked around the bench so he could see her better.

"Crys?"

Her cheeks were red and soaked in tears. Her head was hung over, so her bangs could cover her eyes. Her fingers were crept over her mouth, muffling her cries. Her pale shoulders shook from both her sobs and the cold wind that left goose bumps on her exposed arms and legs. Her perfectly curled brown waves slumped over her body, covering her almost like a blanket.

She didn't look up when he called her.

"Crys..?" he spoke again, taking the seat next to her. He leaned over to look at her closely. His blue eyes stared at her with concern. "Crystal, what's wrong?"

She sniffled, trying to calm herself down. She opened her eyes, but kept her gaze on the floor. She quickly wiped at the tears on her cheeks and her eyes and lowered them back down to her lap. A stray tear she had missed rolled down her pale cheek.

He quickly began to unbutton his tuxedo jacket. "God, it's freezing out here," he said, shaking it off. Carefully he placed it over the young woman's shoulders. "You'd think if you ran out here to cry alone in the garden, you'd at least bring a sweater." he added sarcastically. He heard a half-laugh from her as she gratefully slipped her arms through the warm sleeves.

"But seriously, what's wrong?" he asked, as he gently took her hand and cradled it in his own. It was cold to the touch. "Why are you crying?"

Crystal let out a last sob before looking at the fountain in front of her and staring up at the marble angel. There were mascara stains under her eyes. They were overflowing with undeniable pain and regret.

"I….I can't do this." she whispered out. She shook her head. "I can't do it! I can't do it!" She turned her head to face him. Her voice rose, the desperation climbing in her tone. "I can't do this, Stan! I'm scared! I'm so scared!"

"Okay, okay. Shhh." Stan quickly pulled her into a hug as she cried. He held on tight, rubbing her back. "Shh, it's okay Crys. Calm down." he whispered in an attempt to comfort her.

Crystal let her head collapse on his shoulder and pressed her hand on his chest. She shook with sobs, allowing herself to lean on Stan. She shushed her, soothing her with back rubs. He nestled his chin on her hair, taking in the aroma of her shampoo. His heart pounded as he held her.

"Calm down, Crys. Everything's gonna be okay." Stan reassured her.

Suddenly, Crystal ripped herself off of Stan's grasp. She stared at the redhead with disbelief.

"…what?" Stan squirmed under the intensity of her glaring aquamarine eyes.

"Okay?" she yelled at him. "Okay?! 'Everything's gonna be okay?!' I'm having a nervous breakdown over here because tomorrow is the single biggest day of my life! How do you know everything's just going to 'be okay?!'"

"See, when someone tells you to 'calm down,' it actually means to calm down, not 'raise your voice at someone and have a random hissy fit.'" Stan half-joked.

Crystal shot him a death glare. She smacked his arm with her fist.

"Oww!" Stan yelped out as Crystal got up and stormed off. He couldn't help but notice that her silver heels her in her hand instead of on her feet. Stan quickly got up and followed her. She was making her way past the fountain and further into the garden.

"Okay, Crys? Crystal, wait!" Stan called out to her. She ignored him and walked faster. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa--Whoa! Crys!" Stan managed to grab her by the arm, stand in her way and stop her in her tracks. Her glare intensified.

"Okay…maybe those weren't the comforting words you were looking for." he said nervously.

Crystal scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You can be such an ass sometimes." She walked past him, heading for the path just ahead. A small forest of lit up Christmas trees planted in the garden lined the path.

"Oh come on, Crystal!" Stan went after her. "It's like you don't know me at all. You know I'm bad with situations like this!"

Crystal spotted a swing tied between two trees a few yards away.

"Yes, well the least you could do is be a little more sensitive. This is actually serious." Crystal's eyes softened, and she looked down at the floor.

Stan spotted her face and frowned. She looked so confused, so sad…so scared. "Yeah…sorry." he mumbled.

It was silent for a moment as they walked side-by-side. Another jolly holiday tune echoed in the wind. Yet, it was hard for them to get in the spirit. Crystal approached the swing and sat down, dropping her heels on the grass nearby. Stan noticed there was room for one more, and sat next to her. He used his feet to gently swing the seat back and forth. Crystal remained quiet, staring at the floor. She was white as a ghost, and looked as if she had seen one as well.

Stan looked over at her. As they swung together, the light breeze picked up strands of her shiny, chocolate-brown hair. They swayed back and forth, her scrunched-up curls brushing over her smooth face. Her eyes twinkled against the lights around them. The pale-pink fabric of her gown also swayed back and forth as they swung. Despite the pain in her eyes, she couldn't look more beautiful tonight.

Stan looked away, hints of red staining his cheeks. Seeing her like this only made him feel worse.

"Hey…remember that time in high school, when we were in our sophomore year?"

Crystal looked up curiously.

"We were all so psyched because we were no longer freshmen anymore. And Hamtaro vowed that we'd never do anything stupid to embarrass ourselves?"

The brunette smiled, knowing exactly where the story was going. She felt a warm feeling of nostalgia glow inside her.

"And one day, the seniors decided to pull a prank on the whole gang. Remember how they told us about Ninja vs. Pirate day?" Stan smirked playfully at her.

"By sending that fake, but very convincing email from the school saying that all students were to come on Tuesday dressed as either a pirate or a ninja." Crystal added, a smile planted on her lips.

"And the WHOLE gang actually came to school dressed like complete idiots!" Stan laughed. "Hamtaro went dressed as Jack Sparrow!"

"Oh my god, that was SO embarrassing!" Crystal squealed, covering her hot face. "I went looking like Elizabeth with the sword and everything!"

"Remember Pashmina with her all-pink ninja outfit?" Stan asked. "She looked like a walking stick of cotton candy!"

Crystal burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh! And then every single person in school--even **teachers**--took pictures of us and put them of Facespace?"

"And a video someone posted up on Viewtube had like, half a million views by the time we got home that day!" Stan pointed out.

They both started to laugh hysterically, reminiscing one-by-one about the events that had unfolded that petrifying day.

"I can't even remember how we made it through the day!" Stan blurted out between his fits of laughter.

"I can't remember how we made it to lunch!" Crystal replied, giggling uncontrollably.

"Ohhh! Lunch as the worst!" Stan shook his head. "I would've rather walked in naked."

"Didn't you and Jingle decide to have a Ninja-vs.-Pirate battle right in the middle of the cafeteria?" Crystal taunted, pointing one slender finger at him.

Stan blushed. "I was tired of being embarrassed. So I just went and turned the whole thing into a joke by making an ass of myself."

"Well, you're certainly very good at that." Crystal shifted her eyes, her smirk undeniable.

Stan flashed her a glare. "Hey! At least I became an internet sensation! The video of me and Jingle had like 300,000 views in one day." he bragged, puffing out his chest.

"You were a one-hit wonder, Stan. Nobody ever mentioned that video again after three weeks." Crystal corrected him.

"BUT it was funny, you can't deny that!" Stan told her.

Crystal sighed loudly. "Whatever…" was her simple response. She sat back against the chair and folded her arms across her chest. Her hands managed to poke out of the long sleeves of Stan's tuxedo jacket. "I still can't believe you like ninjas more than pirates…" she muttered at him.

Stan scoffed. "I can't believe you think a pirate could kick a ninja's ass in a swimming race." His tone was condescending as he shook his head at her.

"Hellooo?! What part of 'They live on the ocean' don't you understand?" Crystal exclaimed.

"Hellooo?!" Stan imitated her. "Ninjas have lightening-fast reflexes! They can probably swim so fast, they **run **on water."

"Okay, now you're just talking crazy!" Crystal scoffed.

"Pirates probably can't even swim. They barely bathe!" Stan retorted.

"That's stupid! They practically live in the ocean. That's like saying a butterfly can't flap its wings!"

"Nooo! They live on a BOAT. Where they're protected from the ocean. I betcha they rarely swim."

"You're such a blockhead!"

"Ninjas.." Stan held one hand high above his head. "pirates." He held the other hand just below his chest. "No contest."

"Take that back, you karate freak!" Crystal shouted.

"Make me, you salt-scrubbing degenerate!" Stan yelled back.

"What does that even mean?!" Crystal scrunched up her nose in confusion.

"It means you're a--Wait." Stan suddenly paused. It was his turn to scrunch his nose. "…why are we having this conversation?"

Crystal paused and blushed slightly, realizing how ridiculous they probably sounded. "We sound like we're 15 again." she muttered, ashamed of her immaturity.

Stan sighed and smiled. "But it made you feel better, didn't it?" he looked over at her.

Crystal met his gaze and smiled brightly. "You're right, it did," she giggled. The brunette leaned against Stan, her head landing on his shoulder. "We've been through so much together." she said softly.

Stan smiled, swinging them a little harder. "Yup. You and me, kid."

"Don't forget the gang either." Crystal reminded him, referring to their beloved Ham-Ham group. "We've been together practically since kindergarten…and we're **still **in contact to this day. That's pretty mind-blowing if you think about it.

"Well, yeah. Of course them too." Stan nodded in agreement. "But we both specifically have been through just about everything: elementary, middle, high school, college…puberty, sex, parties, summer jobs, relationships, prom, graduation--all of them." Stan smiled at her. "We've stuck together throughout our whole lives. It's amazing that we've been best friends for so long."

Crystal smiled back. "I don't think I could've asked for a better best friend." she confessed.

"Me neither." Stan draped an arm around her, and held her close. They gently swung in silence, taking in their surroundings. They could hear crickets chirping somewhere, the noise clashing with the Christmas music in the air.

Stan felt the warmth of her body and the way she leaned on him. He silently hoped this moment could last a lifetime. Being like this, just the two of them, brought Stan back to all the moments they had together throughout their friendship. All the secrets they shared, the stories they told, the laughs and the tears--mostly from her, of course--the fights they had and how they always made up 5 minutes later, only to start fighting again.

Crystal grew eerily quiet, even a little somber. He could tell by the way she slumped over for his support.

'_I should probably tell her another funny story to distract her, and make her laugh again.'_ Stan thought to himself. He loved seeing her laughing and smiling. It was like watching a rainbow after a storm. It lit him up from the inside-out.

"I can't believe I'm getting married tomorrow." Crystal whispered sadly.

_**Married. **_

Stan physically cringed at the sound of the word. Every time he heard that word, it was like a kick to the stomach. Almost immediately, those light, bubbly feelings he had died in an instant.

Despite being only 23, Crystal had gotten engaged to a rich aristocrat offspring named Nicholas Scott. He was the son of a huge real estate CEO, Benjamin Scott Sr. (Nicholas' brother was Ben Jr.) They met at a family party and quickly fell in love. He was handsome and charming with black-brown wavy hair, hazel-green eyes and a warm, caring smile. He was polite, classy and refined, the type of man Crystal's parents were thrilled to have as a son-in-law. They dated for about a year before Nicholas, convinced she was the One, proposed to her on a yacht in the Caribbean's.

Their parents had become very close during the relationship. In fact, the more they bonded, the more they realized how many doors of opportunities would open if their children were to tie the knot in terms of business and company branches. Personally, Stan didn't like Nick at all. He felt as if the marriage was more of a business deal than anything. They'd trade Crystal's hand in marriage in exchange for a G5 private airplane and a couple stacks of cash. It infuriated Stan to no end.

Sandy told him he was being crazy. He was even acting a little jealous. Bijou told him he was delusional. His friends all told him the same thing. Even Penelope, the youngest of the gang, was convinced that it would be Stan who won the girl in the end, and eventually walk her down the aisle.

Marriage? No.

Crazy? Perhaps.

Delusional? A possibility.

Jealous? More than he could ever imagine.

He could still recall the day Crystal drove all the way to his apartment, and parked on the grass due to her excitement. She had ran all the way up the steps to his door, pounded on it non-stop, and flashed him that stupid 12-karat diamond ring on her left hand the second he opened the door. He could still recall the way his lungs collapsed and crumbled into a million pieces. He remembered how sick to his stomach he was when Crystal gushed out those two dreadful words, "I'm engaged!"

Instead of being happy for her, he remembered how that night, he stayed up for hours in his room, punching the wall and mentally tearing himself up. He couldn't decide whether he was furious, or devastated. And he had no idea why. On one hand, he wanted Crystal to be happy, in fact, he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy. On the other hand, he wanted nothing more than for the engagement to fall apart and for a house to fall on top of Nicholas.

It confused him. He couldn't understand why Crystal getting married upset him so much. I mean, they were best friends. He was supposed to be one of her main support systems. But with every passing day, he found it harder and harder to encourage Crystal with the wedding plans. He felt a dreadful sense of envy whenever he saw Crystal planning out her dream day: picking out silverware, choosing a hall for the reception, picking out bridesmaids and their dresses, finding the right shoes, tiara, accessories, calling up limo companies, finding a date, organizing the seats for the 1,500-plus guests attending, hiring the chefs and the baker for the cake, and worst of all, choosing a destination for their honeymoon.

_Their _honeymoon.

The word itself made Stan's blood boil.

Stan tried to convince himself that maybe he was just being overprotective of Crystal, just like how he was with Sandy. After all, he didn't like her boyfriend, Maxwell the day he found out they were dating. In fact, he tried coming up with a million reasons why he was so bitter.

He found his answer the day he saw her in her wedding dress.

He had stopped by to visit Crystal for a while one day. He had gone to her condo to find her, only to find she was at her parents' mansion for the day. She had left most of her wedding items there to protect it just in case. When he arrived, the housekeeper--who was quite fond of Stan--told him she was in her old bedroom. So he climbed up the winding staircase to her room, when he opened the door and walked in on her in her dress.

She was standing front of the life-size mirror in one of the most breathtaking dresses he had ever seen. It was a strapless A-line gown in snow-white, almost a blinding white. The top of the dress was small and tight, embracing her curves. There were crystal beadings and jewels sewn in the top shaped in small flowers and vines. An A-shaped silk belt was outlined just above her stomach. The bottom half of the dress wasn't as voluminous as he had thought it would be. It wasn't as poofy as the dress of say, a Disney Princess. Similar crystals and diamonds were sewn on the long satin skirt. The dress trained behind her at least 2 or 3 feet.

She was wearing a simple tiara on her head, which he recognized as the tiara she wore on the day of her _Quinceanera_. Her silky brown hair was pulled back half-up and secured with a clip while the rest flowed down her back. That horrendous rock of an engagement ring was still on her left finger.

She stared at him blankly, almost clueless to the fact that Stan couldn't breathe, walk, talk, stand and had forgotten how to make use of his hands and fingers. Her shimmering aqua-green eyes reflected off the sunlight pouring into the room, and shone like the crystal-clear(no pun intended)water in a pool. She was angel in human form, a blossoming red rose in a field of daisies--which was ironic because daisies were Crystal's favorite flower.

Crystal smiled shyly, her fingers tugging at the silky, creamy fabric. Stan let out a gasp, his stomach doing back flips. He felt something explode inside him, like a net of a million butterflies. He saw that smile, that sweet, innocent tug on her lips, and he felt his heart ramming against his ribcage. His insides melted, and a warm, cozy feeling burned bright in the center of his being, like a blazing campfire. His face grew insanely hot, and he smiled, not realizing he was blushing.

Crystal's grin grew wider when she finally saw her friend react at a certain point. Five seconds of staring didn't really give her a lot of feedback.

"Sooo?" she finally said, swaying her hips side-to-side to make her lavish dress move--somewhat. "Is it too…much? Too extravagant?"

Crystal stepped down from the podium she was perched on and smiled. Stan, finally remembering he had legs, stepped forward towards her. (However, he almost collapsed during that first step thanks to his Jell-O knees)

"I-I…you…wh…" Stan opened his mouth, only to have monkey gibberish blurt out from his lips. Crystal raised an eyebrow, both amused and surprised that Stan Toraani, of all people, was at a loss for words.

Stan struggled to find his composure. How on earth could he find a way to describe how she looked? _'There isn't a word in the dictionary that could even come close to describing how…unbelievably amazing she looks.' _

Not even the words "unbelievably amazing" could do it justice.

"Crys…!" Stan finally managed to choke out. It came out breathless, in a daze. "Y-You look…" His brain racked for a word, any word that could sum up exactly how he felt about her--in that dress.

Crystal's eyebrows remained risen, waiting patiently for Stan to finish.

Finally, with a sigh, Stan grabbed both of her hands, a motion that took Crystal by surprise. He held them in front of him, looking down at their intertwined fingers before lifting his head to lock eyes with her.

"Crystal, you look perfect." he answered her quietly. He smiled softly, gazing into her beautiful eyes. Crystal, for a moment, was speechless. The glow in Stan's midnight-blue eyes, the pure honesty in his voice and sincerity from the look on his face. It all gave Crystal the hint that Stan meant 1,000% of what he said, and more. Butterflies flapped their wings in her stomach. She felt light as a feather, her rosy cheeks burning a darker shade of pink.

"You mean it?" she asked, her voice up an octave or two.

Stan laughed softly, swinging their hands playfully. "Of course I do! I mean…you look incredible!" He grinned widely.

Crystal giggled, sending shivers down Stan's spine. "Thanks Stan. Hearing that from you really means a lot to me." The petite bride-to-be spun around, facing the mirror. Stan looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was smiling brightly, her eyes dancing in the sunlight. Her cheeks flushed happily.

"I hope I don't trip over it in front of Nick though." she said, covering her cheeks with her hands. "That'd be SO embarrassing!"

Stan's face fell. He literally felt his heart sinking the second she mentioned Nick. He saw Crystal's reflection again. This time, the longer he stared at her, the more his heart ached. That warm feeling he felt was suddenly gone, as if someone had dumped a bucket of water on the campfire. In its place was the cold, empty smoke that would eventually fade into the night sky.

He hated this feeling and the images that came with it. When he went to bed that night, he closed his eyes and saw Crystal. He saw her standing in that dress under that heavenly light as he walked in the bedroom. He saw her smiling at him as she stepped towards him. He saw her spinning around in her dress, giggling like a love struck schoolgirl. And then he saw her in that same dress, in a church, kissing Nicholas.

And then it struck him hard. Hard.

He loved her.

Stan could remember clear as day how he had sat up from his bed, panting hard. The realization had hit him so hard, the air had been literally sucked from his lungs. He remembered how his body had started to shake and break out in a cold sweat. His heartbeat was so fast and so hard, he felt it all the way in his eardrums.

The answer was so outrageous and farfetched, yet it was so simple. He was head over heels in love with Crystal. Seeing her in that dress made Stan realize that he didn't want Nicholas to be the one marrying her. He wanted to be the one standing next to her in that church. He wanted Crystal to wear that dress for **him**, not Nick.

Nick didn't belong with her. He wasn't the man Crystal was meant to be with. He thought back to the 19 years he had known her. From that first day of preschool, all the way to the recent days counting down to her wedding. All this time, now it made perfect sense. Stan loved her. He **loved **her!

Crystal had to marry him, not some guy that only knew her for 13 months. Did Nick learn from those 13 months about her obsession with chocolate pudding and melted marshmallows? Did **he **know that when she was 9, she had fallen off her bike, and rolled all the way down a hill and walk out the whole mess with a broken wrist? Did **he **know about that backpacking trip she wanted to take across Australia someday? Did she cry on **his **shoulder when was 15, after breaking up with her first boyfriend when he cheated on her? Did **he **later trap that same douchebag in an alley and beat him to a pulp for being a lying piece of trash? Did he have a million private jokes with her that involved llamas, gummy bears, headphones and their seventh grade gym teacher? Did he take funny pictures with her on the way to their first college party and store them away in their laptops, for their eyes only? Did she squeeze his hand during middle school graduation and watched her cry as the principal made his speech?

And yet, Nick was still the one Crystal chose to spend the rest of her life with.

It stung, the pain sinking all the way to his core. He couldn't imagine being without Crystal. He wanted nothing more than to lie next to Crystal and watch her sleep every night and be proud to call her his wife. It hurt, to the point where the pain was unbearable, that Crystal was so close to him, yet she was so untouchable. He was like trying to touch a ghost, or a hologram. He wanted to just grab her and shake her and scream that she was being a fool for choosing someone that didn't know her like he did.

"_**I can't believe I'm getting married tomorrow…" **_

Suddenly, the images dancing in front of his eyes disappeared. In its place was the sight of the pine tree he had been staring at for the past 5 minutes. The cold wind touched his cheek, reminding him where he was. He blinked, looking down at the pretty brunette leaning on his shoulder, wearing a pale pink dress and his tuxedo jacket.

"Yeah…" Stan finally replied absentmindedly.

They were silent again for a while, still swinging on the seat. Out of nowhere, Crystal started to shiver. Stan looked down at her.

"I'm scared…" she squeaked out. "Stan, I…I-I don't think I can do this."

Stan could only stare. _'Then, don't. Don't marry him. Walk away and never look back.'_

Crystal waited for a response, only to hear the sound of his breathing. She lifted her head to look at him. He was staring straight ahead. It was hard to read the expression on his face, but she saw pain in his eyes somewhere. His mind was far away, wandering off to God knows where.

"Stan."

"Hm?" Stan quickly returned. He blinked out of his train of thoughts and looked at her.

"I-I…" Crystal opened her mouth, then closed it. "Never mind." she whispered.

"What?" Stan asked curiously.

"I-It's nothing." Crystal sat up straight and shook her head. She looked down shyly, focusing her eyes on the grass below.

Stan cocked an eyebrow. "Crys, I know you better than that. What is it you were gonna tell me?"

Crystal pressed her lips together. She felt the slightest hint of tears stinging the back of her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt something touch her chin. It was Stan's fingers. They gently led her up to look at him. She locked eyes with him instantly.

"It's okay. You can tell me." he said. His eyes were full of sincerity. His voice was sweet and reassuring.

Crystal froze. She looked at him breathless. The lights around him warmed his handsome face, and made his sapphire eyes glow in the night sky.

Her memory flashed back to the last time she had seen that look in his eyes. It was the day he saw her in her wedding dress a few weeks ago. Looking at him made Crystal's heart skip a beat. She always knew Stan was an attractive guy--despite his many, many issues, most of them involving his constant flirting with random girls. But it was strange for her to feel so flustered like this, especially considering how long she had known him.

Quickly, she shook it off, remember what it was she wanted to ask him.

"Stan.." she began nervously. Stan cocked his head, his auburn bangs falling over his forehead. She looked down for a moment before looking back up, this time with misty eyes. "Do…Do you think I'm doing the right thing marrying Nick tomorrow?"

Stan's heart almost stopped.

"There it was: his window of opportunity. It was wide open and waiting for him.

The 23-year-old was taken aback, and he didn't try hiding it either. His mouth has parted slightly, and his widened. Despite his shock though, he already had an answer for her.

'_This is it, Stan! Tell her! Tell her everything! Tell her she doesn't belong to Nick. Tell her that you've hated this wedding from the start, and that you cant live without her because she means the world to you. Tell her to dump Nick, throw that damn engagement ring out the window and leave without a word and run straight into your arms where she belongs.' _

"Crys, I th--"

Then, Stan looked into her eyes. They were moist with unshed tears that made her aqua-green eyes sparkle. She stared at him helplessly, waiting anxiously for his answer. She was obviously troubled from the look on his face. Her soft, pink lips gave Stan thoughts that made his cheeks heat up and look down, flustered.

Then, as Stan looked back up at her eyes, his heart sank as the realization hit him: Crystal trusted him so much and always took whatever he said to heart. So how could he just jeopardize her happiness for his own sake?

"Crystal, how do expect me to answer that?" he finally responded.

Crystal's eyes hardened. "Uh-uh. No. Don't give me that neutral 'follow-your-gut' bullshit." she said, shaking her head. "I want a yes or no out of you."

Stan's stomach tied itself up in knots. _'Now she's got me up against a wall.'_ he though nervously to himself.

Actually…that wasn't such a horrible image to picture. Stan mentally slapped himself in the back of his head and blushed once more.

"I-I don't get it. Why do you want this answer from me anyway?" he asked.

"Because…!" Crystal paused. Her eyes softened once more. She shifted in her seat so her body was turned more towards Stan. As she moved, her knee brushed up against Stan's leg, sending tingles up his body. "...Because I trust you more than anyone else in this whole world. You don't judge me, or correct me or try to make me feel stupid. Stan, we're best friends, and…I really need you right now."

Crystal sighed sadly. "Please." she added, her eyes begging him for support.

Stan was quiet for a moment. He stared back at her, while his conscience wrestled with him over what he'd say to her.

'_Say yes, she deserves to be happy.' _

"_No, she needs to know the truth. I cant afford to lose her to another guy.' _

' _If you truly do love her, then say yes. Say yes, and assure her she's doing the right thing.'_

'_How, if marrying him is the _wrong _thing?' _

'_Stan, look at her, she's torn up inside. You have to support her no matter what.' _

'_I'm not letting her go through with this. I love her and I need to tell her.' _

'_Say yes.' _

'_Say no.' _

'_Say yes.' _

'_Say no.' _

'_Say yes.' _

'_Say yes..' _

'_Say yes...' _

"No."

Crystal's eyes widened in shock.

'_YOU NEVER LISTEN TO YOU!'_

"No." Stan repeated, looking away. He stood up and shook his head. "No, no, no, no. I cant let you go through with this."

Crystal opened her mouth to speak, as her eyes followed Stan. But nothing seemed to come out.

"Crys…I wanna support, I really do." Stan continued, his back to her. "But…I can't. I can't stand the thought of that man being your husband."

"Uh…U-Uhh…" Crystal was speechless once more. She slowly looked down, taking in everything Stan had just said. After a moment, she stood up as well.

"So, you never approved of this whole thing?" she asked firmly, folding her arms across her chest.

Stan turned to face her. "What did you expect me to say? 'Yes, go ahead and marry him, even though you're doubting yourself'?"

Crystal's mouth parted. She glared slightly. "I didn't **expect **you to say yes. That's why I asked you for your opinion." she defended herself. "And for the record, I'm not doubting myself."

"HA! Bullshit!" Stan suddenly yelled out. This only made Crystal's eyes bug out of her head. "Do you even love this guy, Crys?"

"Wha--?!" Crystal gasped. "Y-Yes! Of course I do!" she replied, a little too loudly.

Stan glared at her. "Look me in the eye and tell me you love Nick and that you have no doubts about this wedding."

Crystal felt her frustrations bubbling inside her. "Stan, I love him! But everyone is nervous the night before their wedding!"

"Do you **want **to marry him?"

"Wh--Where the hell is this all coming from?!" Crystal broke their staring contest. She whirled around, her arms still tightly crossed.

"Crys, you **just **told me you didn't think you could do this. So why are you making stuff up and contradicting yourself?" Stan questioned.

"Maybe it's because I'm nervous!" Crystal screamed. "I'm stressed and exhausted and emotional and damnit I'm motherfuckin' NERVOUS! Shouldn't you be the best friend that calms me down when I'm falling apart, cause you sure aren't acting like one!"

"Best friend…" Stan laughed bitterly. "You know what, if you don't wanna marry him, then DON'T fucking marry him! Simple as that!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Crystal faced him, standing toe-to-toe with him. "If you never supported me from the start, why didn't you just tell me?! Why'd you have to go and start a bitch-fit at the last minute?!"

"Because I thought supporting you would make you happy!" Stan threw his arms in the air. "That's all I wanted--that's all I ever wanted, is for you to be happy. But CLEARLY this wedding is making you miserable!"

"I'm not miserable! I told you, I'm just a little overwhelmed." Crystal shot back angrily.

"And again I say: BULL. SHIT." Stan reiterated in Crystal's face.

"Okay, you know what? You can take your sourpuss attitude and shove it up your ass you son-of-a-bitch! If you're against this whole thing, then why are you even here?!" Crystal shouted. "If you're not gonna be here for me, then please just go."

She tried to shove past him, only to be blocked by Stan.

"I **am **here for you, Crys. Don't doubt that." he said firmly, frowning down at her.

"Then why are you so pissed?! Is it me, is it the wedding, is it--" Crystal suddenly paused, a light going off in her head. "Is it…is it **Nick**?"

She had him. She knew from the look on his face. "It's Nick, isn't it? You hate him!" she exclaimed.

Stan couldn't respond. He simply stared back at her with wide eyes and flaming red cheeks.

"Stan, why didn't you just tell me?" Crystal spoke softly after a moment of silence. "Why did you have to lie to me and not mean a word you were saying all this time?"

Stan found it impossible to look her in the eye.

Crystal licked her dry lips. "Stan…did you even mean what you said when you saw me in my dress?" she asked sadly.

Suddenly his downcast head snapped up. "Of course I did, Crys! What kind of question is that?"

The brunette didn't answer him. She simply frowned and slowly took off Stan's jacket, shivering slightly as the wind touched her bare skin. She handed it to him without a word.

"So…what is it that you hate about him?" she asked, as she sat on the swing to put her high heels back on.

Stan stared straight ahead, his face once again expressionless. He looked over at Crystal after she asked the question. His eyes clouded over in what almost looked like defeat.

"Is it cause he's rich?" Crystal wondered out loud as she pulled on the strap of her first shoe. "Because in case you haven't noticed, I don't really need the money."

Stan remained silent, staring at the floor. He could spend forever and a day listing the reasons why he hated Nick.

"Or, is it perhaps because we've known each other for only a year?" Crystal reached for her second shoe. She blew away a few stray clumps of dirt that were left on the shoe. "Because a lot can happen in a year, you know."

Stan held his jacket, his face stony. He didn't seem to care that he was freezing in the icy wind, nor did he seem to notice.

"Is it because you think we have nothing in common besides our family wealth?" Crystal slipped her foot into her heel. "Look, I'm not getting married to a stranger. It's not like my parents arranged it the day I was born. I know him, and I really do love him."

The words ripped through Stan's chest like a knife. He felt the cold, metal blade pierce through his heart as slow as possible to torture him longer. He felt his blood run cold. And along with the heavy wounds came a growing rage that he couldn't seem to control.

'_God, if only she knew…' _

"Nick's a good guy, Stan. You just have to give him a chance." Crystal said.

Again, silence.

Just then Crystal stood up. She smoothed over her pink dress and carefully ran a manicured hand over her brown curls. She looked up at Stan sadly. She noticed how he refused to look up at her.

"Aren't you gonna say something?" she asked him quietly, staring him down.

Silence.

"Stan…why can't you just tell me what's wrong?" Crystal stroked his soft, orange bangs. It sent shivers down Stan's spine that were so sudden, it numbed the tips of his fingers and toes.

He could barely breathe due to his pain. She was so close, yet she couldn't be farther away. With every second that passed, he could feel her slipping away from his grasp. She was turning away and returning to the one man on the planet who didn't deserve her. He didn't know what else there was left.

Crystal sighed. She looked over his shoulder to the cobblestone path. She knew she had a rehearsal dinner waiting for her inside, and she had been gone long enough for someone to notice and go looking for her.

"It's freezing out here…we should head inside." she said, her voice low. She sighed once more and began to walk past him, hoping he would get the hint and follow her.

Three steps later, Stan grabbed her wrist. Crystal stopped abruptly, turning to see his hand clasped over her arm.

"He doesn't deserve you." Stan's deep voice broke the silence. He was still in the same spot, his back turned towards her.

"…huh?" Crystal's face scrunched up in confusion.

"He doesn't deserve to marry you, Crys." Stan continued, his voice slightly louder this time. "He doesn't know anything about you, not the way I do. I don't care you've known him 13 months, or 13 years. He doesn't have the history we have."

Crystal's heartbeat began to escalate.

'_Nuh-uh…' _she thought to herself.

"Crystal, I can't watch you marry him knowing that he can't possibly read you the way I can." Stan was starting to turn around. He kept his grasp on her wrist, though it was gentler this time.

"Nick will never make you laugh the way I can, he can't have those hearts-to-hearts with you, like the ones we've had." Stan kept his head down. He slowly slid his hand down from her wrist to her own hand and wrapped his fingers around it.

"The truth is, I…" Stan gulped, desperately trying to swallow despite his dry tongue. "…i-if I let you go now, I know that I'll never get the chance to do this again and I'll wind up losing you forever."

Crystal's knees began to go weak.

"Nick can't have you…because I love you." Stan dared himself to look into her eyes. "I dunno how long ago this started or how it happened. I just know that I can't live with myself knowing that you belong to someone else. I love you, Crystal, and I can't watch you do this."

Crystal's jaw was dropped. Her eyes were wide open, sucked into Stan's gaze. Her cheeks began to burn up while her body grew numb. She felt the warmth of Stan's fingers against her skin, and an unfamiliar sensation began to wash over her. Suddenly, the bitter-cold December weather was the least of her problems.

She gazed softly into his eyes, her rosy cheeks now a fiery red. She slowly reached for his other hand and grabbed it. Stan blushed at the touch of Crystals soft skin on his fingers.

"I…" she whispered, her heart pounding uncontrollably. She couldn't breathe and she suddenly felt as if the room was spinning. They both stood there, holding hands, face-to-face, the wind rushing through their hair. "Stan, I--"

"CRYSTAL!!!!"

A completely unfamiliar voice made them both jump out of their skins. They turned around, looking towards the fountain not too far away. The voice sounded like it was coming from the other side of the garden. Stan could feel his heart sink.

"Crys?!" Out of nowhere, a beautiful brunette, around Crystal's age appeared heading down the path. She was the spitting image of Crystal with her pin-straight brown hair and peach complexion, except for her electric blue eyes being the only difference. She was wearing a short, tight black dress that reached just above her knees. She had blue ribbons tied around her Human-Ham ears and matching heels.

"Nikki?" Crystal called out, recognizing her cousin.

"CRYSTAL!" a second girl ran out from behind Nikki towards the duo. This one had had golden-blonde hair that cascaded down her back and ocean-green eyes. She was wearing a light blue bubble dress, white heels, a white cashmere sweater and a pink scarf wrapped around her neck.

"Crys, where have you been?!" Pashmina squealed breathlessly as she approached her.

"You've been gone for like, 35 minutes!" Nikki added. "Everyone's lookin' for you!"

"U-Uh…" Crystal was at a loss for words.

"It's okay, we were just done talking." Stan cut in. Crystal turned to look at him. He had on a big, plastic smile on his face. Yet, she could see right through it to spot the pain in his eyes. "She can go back inside." Stan looked right at Crystal as he said this. The look in his eyes almost killed her.

Nikki wasted no time. She grabbed Crystal by her arm and began dragging her back to the hotel. Crystal's eyes refused to break away from Stan. She stared sadly at him as she began to walk away from him. She couldn't hear Nikki as she started complaining about Crystal's cold hands and the smudges under her eyes from crying. All she could hear was those three words, those eight precious letters ringing in her ear over and over again.

Stan watched her go, his heart breaking with every step she took. Pashmina noticed the look in his eyes and stayed behind.

"Stan? Stan, are you okay?" she asked sweetly. Her face scrunched up in concern.

The redhead locked eyes with Pashmina and tried his best to smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." he replied, putting on his tuxedo jacket.

"You sure?" Pashmina frowned. She could tell something was up, she could feel it in her gut. But judging from the tired look on Stan's face, she chose not to pursue the situation any further.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Stan sighed as he buttoned up his jacket. He could smell her perfume from inside the jacket. He felt his pockets for his keys, his phone and his wallet. He sure as hell wasn't going back in there.

(\/)(")(")

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!!!!" Nikki screamed at the top of her lungs. She ran into the bride's bedroom and pounced onto the queen-sized bed. She was absolutely giddy and her face was glowing with delight despite the early hours. You'd think it was **her **wedding had she not yelled out that first comment.

She stood up and began bouncing on the soft mattress, trying her best to avoid stepping on the curled-up figure hiding under the covers. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Today's the day!" she squealed happily. She had on the face of a 6-year-old on Christmas morning.

There was a groan from underneath Nikki. Something that looked like a head of brown hair crawled out from inside the blankets. Nikki spotted it and collapsed back on the bed.

"What time is it?" the head mumbled out.

"It's like 7 am already. So get up, or you'll run us all late!" Nikki replied excitedly. She jumped out of the bed and scurried towards the girl's window.

Slowly, Crystal threw the covers off of her and sat up. "7:00?! Christ, I only slept an hour and a half!" she exclaimed. And it certainly looked like it as well. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot red. She was sickly pale, with splotches and dried-up tear stains on her cheeks. She had dark bags under her dull, colorless eyes. Her hair was frizzy and all over the place.

Nikki pulled the curtains aside to let the sunshine in. Crystal screamed as the light left her temporarily blind. She turned her head and attempted to block out the sun with her hand. Nikki returned to her cousin's bedside, only to spot her condition.

"Good lord, Crys! You look like hell!" she gasped, her blue eyes wide and round. "Did you even sleep last night?"

Truth be told, it wasn't until around 5:30 that Crystal got any shut-eye. Before then, she couldn't even bring herself to close her eyes. For hours, Crystal tossed and turned, her thoughts and her memories haunting her. All she could do was think about was two certain men in her life, both of them very special to her, and while they had almost nothing in common with one another, they both wanted her, and wanted nothing more than to love her and be with her.

Stan's voice in particular was like an echo that refused to fade away. No matter how hard she tried to block him out, his face would reappear before her eyes, smiling down at her and gazing into her soul with those hypnotic ocean-blue eyes. She couldn't close her eyes without seeing him in some sort of flashback from their years together.

Her thoughts were like a slideshow. They'd play her a memory of Stan and Crystal's friendship throughout the years one-by-one and move onto the next one. Whether it was of him as a 7-year-old kid setting her tree house on fire or a 17-year-old high school student running into the DMV building during his driving test, they were all a part of the numerous clips in Crystal's slideshow "movie." And no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, they'd press play and keep on going.

For hours, Crystal relived some of the highlights of her life so far with Stan: Spying on Sandy and Maxwell whenever they were in a room together, staring up at the stars and talking about anything and everything, rolling their eyes/slapping their foreheads every time Hamtaro failed to notice Bijou trying to seduce him, their random IM conversations that somehow always ended with "I'm right here, you dipwad!", laughing until they cried over things that made no sense to others, crying until one of them made the other laugh hysterically. Even their constant, pointless fights was something that seemed to make her smile.

Then somehow in between her memories, Crystal's fiancée found his way into her conscience, reminding her of the path she had chosen to take. She could see Nick's handsome face smiling at her, and she suddenly flashed back to the day he proposed to her.

It was on one of his father's yachts, and he had taken her on a dream weekend in the Caribbean's, just the two of them. Everything about it was perfect and romantic. Then on their last day, as they watched the sunset on the ocean, Nick pointed up at the sky where a plane had written "Crystal will you marry me?" with the pink and orange clouds. When she had turned around to face him, he was on one knee, holding an open jewelry box. Inside was the most beautiful and enchanting diamond ring she had ever seen.

The way Nick's hazel-green eyes gazed lovingly up at her and how the tropical sunset illuminated his adoring smile was a vision Crystal could never think about without grinning like an idiot. When she saw him in that light, Crystal was convinced that she wanted to be with him forever.

Now, she wasn't as confident.

Oh, and then there was the dream…

"Crys? Cryyyss?" A pair of fingers literally snapped her out of her train of thought.

"Huh?" Crystal jumped and looked up to see Nikki giving her a strange look.

"Hun, are you okay? You don't look so good." Nikki asked her.

Crystal nodded and stared down at that same enchanting ring on her left finger. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had trouble sleeping is all." she lied.

"Hm.." Nikki pursed her lips. The blue-eyed beauty recalled what Pashmina had told her just last night. After they returned Crystal to her party last night, she had remained bizarrely quiet the rest of the night, almost like a zombie. Then, the blonde approached her later on to point out that Stan had not returned ever since finding him in the garden with Crystal. When Pashmina then asked the gang for him, she found out he had left right afterwards and had gone home.

Nikki was more than well-aware of the bond between Stan and her cousin, and like Pashmina, she had an alarming feeling that something had happened last night between them. Something that most likely explained Crystal's sudden change in behavior.

She sat down beside Crystal on her bed, a playful smirk on her face. "You know, Crys…you've been acting really odd since last night--specifically ever since we found you outside with Stan." Nikki spotted Crystal from the corner of her eye shift uncomfortably as she spoke his name. She feigned innocence in her voice as she continued. "Just had a….**curiosity**, but…nothing out of the **ordinary **happen last night did it--"

"Stan told me he loved me!!!"

Almost immediately, Crystal slapped both her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide open and her face beet-red. At the same time, Nikki let out a noise that sounded like she was both choking and hyperventilating and fell backwards to the floor. She landed with a big "Boom!"

Somehow, she found a way to grab the edge of the bed and scramble her way back up. She shifted her entire weight on the bed for support, considering her legs had gone completely numb.

"H-He l-loves you?!?" Nikki's voice was a high-pitched squeal. Her face was one of full-on panic.

"Shhh!!" Crystal hissed, her face still red. Her hands were shaking. "Don't tell **ANYONE**! Do you understand me?! NO. BO. DY."

"Yeah yeah, sure--But he LOVES you?!" Nikki gaped in bewilderment.

"Shhh, yes!" Crystal held a finger to her lips in a desperate attempt to shush her. "Yes, he does!"

"Well…wh…w-what th…w-when…why now?!" Nikki blurted out, her face now snow-white. She dragged herself back on the bed and sat down. "I-I mean, what did he say? What did you say? What happened?!"

"I-I dunno!" Crystal shook her head. "We were fighting over…s-something, and then I tried to leave, and then h-he…he just said it!"

"But what did **YOU **say?!" Nikki cried out desperately.

"…nothing."

"Nothing?!" Nikki jumped to her feet. "The guy pours his heart out to you, and you said NOTHING?!" The girl was now hysterical.

"I-I couldn't even say anything! You and Pashmina walked in right then and there." Crystal replied defensively.

"Jesus CHRIST!" Nikki collapsed back on the bed, grabbed her hair and held it in her hands. "Ohmy**gawd**!"

"I know…" Crystal copied her cousin's motions.

"Stan?! Of all people?!"

"I knooooooowww…!"

"And the night **before** the wedding?!"

"I know!"

"….that is so fuckin' romantic!"

"I kn--WAIT, WHAT?!" Crystal's head snapped up. "No! No, it's not romantic! It's a freakin' disaster!"

"Why? Don't tell me you've known him this long and you've NEVER been attracted to him before." Nikki exclaimed.

Crystal's face was scarlet. "Nooooooo! That's….w-weird! He's my best friend!"

"Yeah, your CUTE best friend!" Nikki added. "C'mon, you've never looked at him and thought, 'Wow he's hot' even for 5 minutes?"

"No! Can we move on? I refuse to have this conversation!" Crystal crossed her arms stubbornly and looked away.

"…You know, I've had a crush on him."

"**NICOLE!!!!**" Crystal's jaw dropped. Her face turned a deeper shade of red, this time for a completely different reason.

"What? I was 15, and it was for like, a week!" Nikki put her hands up innocently.

"Wha--?! W-Well then, why didn't you tell me?" Crystal demanded.

"Because I knew you'd be jealous."

"I am not jealous!"

"I meant, back then." Nikki corrected her. "But does that mean you'd be jealous now?"

"No!"

"So you've NEVER had some kind of crush on Stan? Admit it, he's a freakin' cutie!"

"Nicole!"

"Sorry..."

Crystal collapsed back on her pillow. She stared up at the ceiling, her cheeks still hot and red.

"So…?"

"I was 12, and I liked him for 2 weeks."

"Seventh grade! I _knew _it!"

Crystal sat back up just as quickly as she had fallen. "And if any of this leaves this room, I swear on our great-grandfather's grave that I will personally choke you in your sleep!"

"And I personally swear on his grave that I will take this secret to **my**own grave--unless proven otherwise!" Nikki promised.

Crystal eyed her, and finally sighed in defeat, running her hands through her hair.

"…What the hell am I gonna do, Nikki?" she asked after a few minutes of heavy silence. This time her voice was low and soft.

Even though Nikki was the younger of the two by a few weeks, she hugged Crystal and held her close, almost hoping she could magically take the pain and confusion away.

"Do you love him?" she eventually asked, failing to elaborate on who exactly it was she was talking about.

"I…I don't know." Crystal confessed.

(\/)(")(")

"SANDYYYYYYYYY! I CAN'T FIND MY PURSE!!!"

An emerald-eyed girl was running frantically across the narrow hallway in absolute panic. She had searched every room of the apartment with no sign of her beloved Gucci purse.

Sandy Toraani poked her head from around the corner. She blinked, her green eyes scanning her hysterical friend.

"SANDY! My purse is gone!"

"Bijou, you're holding it."

"?"

Sure enough the snow-white purse was clutched in her dainty hand. She blushed, embarrassed over the scenario she had just caused.

Someone laughed out loud from the bathroom down the hall.

"Shut up, Jingle! I was in a rush!" Bijou spun on her heel and snapped as the giggling, mohawked guitar player stepped through the open doorway to tease her some more. He leaned against the wall, and crossed his arms.

"That's no excuse for your blind stupidity." he shook his head, his golden-brown eyes smirking at her.

"It's called a 'blonde-moment,' Jingle! I'm pretty sure you have those every 5 minutes!" Bijou retorted.

"At least I know where my stuff is." Jingle grinned from ear-to-ear.

"Ugh! You boys are all morons!" Bijou scoffed, storming off and turning the corner where Sandy had just appeared from.

"You're not very good at witty comebacks, are you Bij?" Jingle called after her as he slowly followed her route.

Every Ham-Ham member with the exception of Crystal and Nikki had gathered inside Stan, Hamtaro, Oxnard and Jingle's 3rd floor apartment. Normally at 9:42 in the morning, all four boys would be too busy stuffed in their bed covers sleeping and drooling like babies. But it was Saturday morning, the day of Crystal's wedding. And right now, the roommates were running around frantically trying to get ready before they were set to leave at 10 o' clock. Well, 3 out of the 4 roommates at least.

Oxnard was eating some crumb cake with a napkin tucked in his shirt collar to avoid getting anything stained. Hamtaro had wrapped his tie around his forehead again and was now running to Bijou for help. Jingle had just finished perfecting his hair and was admiring himself in any object he could find that gave him a reflection, whether is was a window, a spoon, or an actual mirror. Stan was nowhere to be found.

Sandy, Pashmina, Pepper and Bijou were all sporting the exact same bridesmaid dress: a teal-colored halter top dress that touched the floor with a silk ribbon wrapped around the waist and tied in the back in an elegant bow. There were pearl beads sewn on the top and lined on the bottom of the skirt, and similarly like Crystal's dress, the pearls made the shape of vines and delicate little flowers.

The boys, while they weren't in the court, all sported tuxedos for the event. Even Boss, who had been away in his travels, returned for the week to celebrate with his fellow Ham-Hams.

The girls all had their hair styled in the same style: Loose and wavy with a teal ribbon was wrapped around their heads like a headband behind their bangs and tied in the back. The rest of the ribbon cascaded down their backs like blue highlights in their hair.

"Penny?" Pashmina walked around, searching for the 11-year-old girl. She was holding a pair of long, white gloves in her hands.

"Anyone seen Penelope?" the blonde asked out loud at the group, most of them in the living room. Most of them turned to her and shrugged.

"I'm right here," the young girl appeared from one of the boys' rooms. She looked adorable in a white, puffy dress that reached her ankles. She was wearing white Mary Jane heels and a white headband in her long, brown hair, which was styled in loose curls. Her rosy pink eyes popped from the hint of eyeliner and shadow Bijou had decided to put on her, despite Pashmina's protests. She was also wearing some pink blush to make her cheeks sparkle.

"Penelope, what are you doing in the boys' rooms? You're not looking through their stuff, are you?" Pashmina questioned the girl, handing her the gloves.

"No!" Penelope blushed. "I stopped doing that when I was like, 9!" She slipped on the gloves, completing her flower girl outfit.

Pashmina smiled in amusement and followed her into the living room.

"Ohmygosh, you guys! It's almost 10! We gotta go!" Pepper squealed.

"What?! _Zut, _we have to meet Crystal at her house in 10 minutes!" Bijou cried. She quickly began to gather her belongings, double-checking to see if she was still holding her purse.

"Pash! Turn my car on and get in! I'll meet you there!" Sandy tossed Pashmina her keys, and ran back to the hallway. The blonde nodded and ushered the girls out of the apartment.

"Hey Sandy! Should we go to Crys' house, or straight to the church?" Boss called out to her, grabbing his own car keys.

"I dunno, if you wanna stop by, it's cool!" Sandy yelled back. "But you have to be at the church by noon, the ceremony starts at 12:30 sharp!"

"Okay, cool." Boss turned to the boys gathered around the living room. "So who's carpooling with me?"

"Shotgun!" Hamtaro declared happily.

Because Boss owned an SUV, Hamtaro, Oxnard, Snoozer, Cappy and Jingle all accompanied him. Panda, Howdy, Dexter and Maxwell decided to carpool in Maxwell's car.

As the boys got up to leave, Sandy waited patiently by the bathroom door. She listened carefully as the boys left the apartment one-by-one, chatting, laughing and goofing off. As the last of the boys shuffled out of the door, she slowly peeked out at the hallway.

The redhead walked out of the bathroom as the front door shut. She sighed and walked slowly down the hallway.

Stan's ears perked up when he heard the door open. He smiled weakly.

"You know, dragging me by your ribbon like you used to when we were 8 isn't gonna get me out of here."

Sandy's twin brother was in no way even ready for the wedding. His tuxedo and his pants were thrown in the corner of his room. His white shirt lay crumpled at the foot of his bed. His tie was hanging on a lamp. His TV was turned on, tuned to a channel he didn't even watch, but it didn't matter because the boy was too busy leaning on the windowsill, staring up at the sky.

Sandy sat on his bed. "I left my ribbon at home, but thanks for trusting me." she replied sarcastically with a laugh.

Stan chuckled and turned around to look at her. "You look beautiful, sis." he said with a smile. He walked towards her and sat next to her.

Sandy smiled back, tears threatening to escape her eyes. The look on her brother's face almost killed her. She could tell he was in pain, yet he continued to push it back and force himself to smile for her sake.

"Shut up, Stan…" she shook her head.

"No, I'm serious. You look great." Stan told her.

She sighed once more. This time, she leaned her head on his shoulder and hugged him close. He didn't resist. Instead he pressed his cheek into her hair and stared out the window.

Stan rarely made himself vulnerable to anyone, even to his sister. All their lives, he was the rock. When Sandy was in distress, he was the one she turned to. He was the strong one that comforted her and told her everything would be okay. When she cried, he'd shush her. When she screamed, he'd run to her side. When she was pushed to the ground, he'd punch the moron who shoved her. Never in her life had she seen him cry, let alone have tears in his eyes. In fact, this was the closest to crying she could remember seeing him.

She understood the bond he and Crystal shared. She knew how much both girls meant to him, which only made the cut deeper for him.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out, Stan…" she whispered as she held him tighter. "I know how much you cared about her."

"Thanks, Sandy…but shit happens I guess." Stan replied softly.

"Yeah, but.." Sandy sat up briefly. "..**you **don't deserve it. You and Crys belong together! You know her better than anyone else, so why does it have to be him?"

"Sandy, I get what you mean, really I do." Stan said. "But it's her decision. Plus, he got to her before I did."

"But it's not fair!" Sandy's voice resembled that of a 13-year-old girl whining about her cellphone getting taken away. "Nick doesn't deserve her!"

"Sis, if college has taught **you **anything, it's that life isn't fair." Stan eyed her.

Sandy sighed with a frustrated huff. "Well, I still think you should stop the wedding and prove just how much you love her."

"Sandy, this isn't one of your 'chick-flicks.' I'm not interrupting a wedding just to make an ass out of myself in front of 1,500 people." Stan rolled his eyes.

"It could work! Chicks dig romantic gestures!" Sandy pouted.

"Yeah, nothing says romantic like barging into a $13 million wedding and screaming out, 'I object!' in front of Nick's entire family **and **Crys' father." Stan physically shuddered at the thought of screaming anything objective in front of that towering man. And the only thing scarier than Crystal's dad was his security team--he knew **that **personally.

"You know…I always had a feeling Crystal liked you."

Stan eyed her strangely.

"I mean, she always denied it. Every time I'd ask her, she'd blush and freak out and scream at me. But I was convinced that one day you would be a couple…I mean, you two are perfect for each other."

"…Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" Stan questioned her.

"I'm saying that because I thought one day you two would realize it." Sandy smiled at him. She started to stroke his soft hair. "I was just waiting for you two to finally kiss to seal the deal."

Stan smiled, a laugh escaping his lips. "Well I've certainly realized it." he remarked. "I just…realized it too late."

Sandy sighed. "Well, everything happens for a reason. Who knows…maybe she won't even marry him." Sandy looked out the window dreamily. "Now that you've told her how you feel, maybe she'll start doubting her own feelings for Nick and leave him at the altar to think things through! Ooh, that'd be **so **romantic!"

"Okay, **now **you're just saying that to make me feel better." Stan joked.

Sandy smiled, relieved that Stan was still being his same fun-loving self.

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise rang out in the room, making them both jump. Sandy pulled out her phone from her clutch to find a text from Bijou.

"_Where are u!?! 5 mins!!!" _it said.

"Go, Sandy." Stan didn't need to read it to know what it said.

Sandy's head snapped back up. "Nooo!" she cried out in protest. "I can't just leave you!"

"Sandy, you're a bridesmaid. You have a duty to honor." Stan smiled forcefully. "You have to go."

"But…but.." Sandy stared at him tearfully. "I don't wanna just leave you here all by yourself."

Stan laughed. "Sis, I'm a big boy. I'm gonna be fine, I promise." He leaned over and kissed Sandy on her forehead. "Now, go. You're late."

Sandy opened her mouth to reply, but she couldn't seem to find the words to say. She finally sighed in defeat. "Okay." she mumbled.

Out of nowhere, Sandy tackled Stan in a hug. He was taken aback as the girl threw herself on him. "I'll call you," she said as she released him and stood up and scurried out of the room. "Love you!"

"Love you!" Stan called over his shoulder. He listened as Sandy's heels clicked against the wooden floors. They ran to the living room, paused as she put on a jacket and then hurried to the front door.

"Don't do anything stupid!" Sandy's voice shouted one last time.

"No promises!" Stan yelled back, a smirk on his face. He heard the door slam and all was quiet.

He sighed loudly and fell back onto his bed.

(\/)(")(")

"You look beautiful."

Crystal could only stare blankly at herself in the mirror as Nikki continued to walk around her, fluffing out and straightening her white wedding gown. She couldn't deny though that the make-up and hair people had done an amazing job taming the beast that had rolled out of bed this morning.

Along with the dress, Crystal was wearing a much larger tiara, with a silk veil attached. The veil cascaded down in front of her face. Pearls and glitter were beautifully sewn into the delicate fabric. She was wearing long, white gloves that stopped at her elbows. Her brown hair was in a fancy half-up do with the rest falling down in loose curls. Her bangs hung over her tired aquamarine eyes. Using the magic that was make-up, Crystal managed to cover up the bags under her eyes and give her pale complexion some color again. She was wearing a white-gold heart-shaped locket that her mother had given her as an engagement present. Her skin glowed thanks to her bronzer.

"I'm gonna check to see if all the guests are here." Nikki softly spoke. She gave Crystal a look that said, "Are you _sure _you want to do this?" All morning, Nikki had tried to convince Crystal that if she had mixed emotions about the wedding, then perhaps it was best to not go through with it.

Crystal turned and only nodded. "Thanks Nikki," she smiled at her maid-of-honor. The look in her eyes said, "Go see if the guests are here for _my _wedding." No matter what Nikki tired to say to her, Crystal only insisted that it was nerves that were making her so hesitant, that it was _her _big day and she _wanted _to marry Nick.

Nikki smiled back weakly and left the room.

Crystal sighed and rubbed her temples. No matter what she tried to do, one certain Human-Ham couldn't escape her thoughts. Out of all the Ham-Hams that had stopped by to visit her, Stan was the only one missing from the group. Even Snoozer had slipped on something nice and had given her a congratulatory hug. And the fact that he wasn't here was ripping her up inside.

All morning, all Crystal could do was think about Stan. She thought about his face, his smile, his laugh, his voice…and all she could see in her head was that moment from last night. Crystal replayed it over and over again, her heart pounding uncontrollably every time she did. In fact, every time she saw Stan smile before her eyes, her insides would jump in excitement.

Every time she thought about Stan, she would feel a warmth so inviting that it embraced her and it made her feel glow from the inside-out. Her heart would skip a beat and her lungs would freeze, making it hard for her to breathe--which was hard enough to do with this infernal dress. When she heard his laugh in the back of her mind, she would find herself smiling. When she thought of the way he held her, her skin longed for his touch. When she thought of his eyes, she'd feel herself go weak.

Then, reality would sink in that he wasn't here. Without him here, Crystal felt hollow. She could feel herself fade into another person--someone who was depressed and abandoned. A black cloud hung over her head without Stan.

And yet, here she was in her strapless custom-made wedding dress, minutes away from being wed to her fiancée. She was supposed to be happy though, right? Instead, she felt like that princess in the tower. The one that was trapped by the dragon and being forced to stay in her room, staring out the window day in and day out, waiting for some kind of miracle. That's not how a girl was supposed to feel on what was supposed to be the biggest day of her life.

"We choose those we like…"

"Huh?" Crystal whirled around and saw Jingle sitting on the large windowsill. He was in his black suit, holding his guitar in his hand. The sun was beaming behind him, making him glow. He closed his eyes.

"…with those we love, we have no say in the matter."

Crystal cocked her head. "Why do you always insist on acting like some kind of wizard guru during the most random times?"

Jingle smiled and shrugged. "It's my thing. No matter how close we get, I'll still be that guy that used to wander the world and give weird advice." He opened his eyes, his golden-brown orbs staring down at her. "I dunno about you, but I hear that when girls get married, they're supposed to look _happy_."

Crystal looked at the floor. She couldn't seem to respond.

"Is it Stan?"

"…I just want him to be here."

Jingle smiled. "You sure that's all?"

Crystal looked up. "What else would I want?"

Jingle let out a small chuckle. "How could you possibly ask me that? You damn well know what it is you really want."

Crystal blinked, staring elsewhere.

"Don't deny it, Crys. You can't _choose _who you fall in love with."

The door opened once more.

"Crys?" It was a male voice.

Crystal's head snapped up. She looked up at the mirror in front of her to see half of the reflection of a redheaded boy with sapphire eyes and a navy-blue tie. Her heart almost burst.

"Stan?" she whirled around.

The half-red/half-white haired boy stared at her, confused. "No…it's Hamtaro." he replied.

It took most of Crystal's willpower to not burst into tears right then and there.

Jingle could only frown sadly at her.

"Oh…sorry Hamtaro." she muttered out.

"Hey, are you okay? You look upset." Hamtaro cocked his head, concerned.

Crystal forced herself to smile and nodded. She admired just how much Hamtaro cared for his friends.

"She's fine." Jingle walked up beside her. "Just nerves." He locked eyes with her, his expression hard to read.

"Jingle? How'd you get in here?" Hamtaro's eyes widened. Jingle opened his mouth to answer.

"Hey kid." Just then, Boss appeared from behind Hamtaro in the doorway. "It's show time. Everyone's ready when you are." Then, the older boy looked at Jingle. He rose an eyebrow. "How the hell did you get in here?"

Jingle sweatdropped. "That's not relevant." he muttered, a blush of embarrassment creeping onto his cheeks.

Crystal lowered her head so that her hair covered her eyes. She fought to keep the tears from rising, her eyes shaking with emotions.

"Okay…" Crystal walked past Jingle to the bureau nearby. She picked up the bouquet of white and pink roses and stroked them gently.

'_I guess he's not coming…'_

Crystal looked up at Jingle, who watched her curiously, then to Hamtaro and Boss, her eyes suddenly stony and cold. She clutched the roses to her chest.

"Tell them I'm ready."

(\/)(")(")

Stan awoke with a start. He gasped as he opened his blue eyes. Outside his window, the sound of church bells sang from the horizon as the clock struck one o' clock. He turned to look at his alarm clock. Sure enough, it was 1 pm sharp.

He sat up slowly, staring out his window. He couldn't see the church from here, but the bells sounded as if they were right across the street. Their sweet sound echoed throughout the empty house.

Stan closed his eyes painfully. Crystal was walking down the aisle at this very moment. She was wearing that breathtaking dress and glowing from the inside-out as she walked towards her soon-to-be perfect husband. Penelope, Sandy, Bijou, Pashmina, Pepper and Nikki had all walked down the aisle and were now waiting for her, watching her as she was escorted by her father--and his security team--to the altar. The gang would smile and take pictures. Girls would cry, guys would blush, babies would drool and kids stop with whatever game they were playing to stare at her.

Stan opened his eyes before his fantasy could go any further. His TV was still on. It was tuned to a soap opera he'd never seen before. Stan reached for the remote on the floor and began to flip through the channels.

'_I wonder if the news would cover the marriage.' _After all, her parents **were **wealthy CEO's of a huge hotel business. He thought about the possible titles they would post on the bottom of the screen.

'_**Beautiful, perfect heiress marries deadbeat stick figure.'**_

'_**CEO offspring weds, breaks best friend's heart in the process.'**_

'_**Donaldson daughter marries Mr. Wrong.' **_

'_**Hotel heiress husband mysteriously vanishes hours after wedding. Last seen in abandoned warehouse. No details available.' **_

He liked the last one the best.

Stan tuned to the movie channels. He perked up when one of the channels revealed that they would be playing one of his all-time favorite movies, "Death Star" in half an hour.

That was plenty of time to pick up a couple of six-packs and some junk food at the supermarket. He knew he'd need the liquor.

As Stan finally rolled out of bed, he debated whether or not he should drive by the church. He wanted to see if he could at least get a glance of Crystal before she left him forever. Then again, he was afraid it would hurt too much.

He grabbed a green sweater and pulled it over his white t-shirt. Then, he picked up his jacket, his keys, wallet and cellphone from his night stand. He even went to the bathroom to check his hair.

As Stan entered the living room, he put on his jacket and zipped it up.

"Where you goin'?" a girl in a sparkly white gown asked, flipping through a magazine. She was on the couch, her feet propped up on the cushions.

"Out. I'll be back in a few." Stan replied over his shoulder. He opened the front door and closed it behind him as he left.

Approximately seven and half seconds passed before he slammed into the door, clumsily unlocked it and swung it wide open. His face was snow-white and his eyes were the size of baseballs.

"CRYS!?!"

She smiled, placing the magazine back on the coffee table in front of her. "The one and only."

"B-But…but…but…" Stan blurted out. "You…and…wedding…!"

Crystal stood up and shrugged. "I couldn't do it." she slowly began taking off the veil as well as the crown attached. "I walked out of my room, stood behind the doors waiting for my queue…and then I turned around and left."

"B-But…but…h-how'd you get here?!"

"I took a cab, silly." Crystal dropped the crown on the couch. She walked around it to approach Stan. As she walked, she slid the white gloves off her hands and dropped them on the floor. Her heels were already on the floor nearby.

"B-But…w-what about Nick?" Stan was dumbfounded. He found it hard to believe this was real, rather than a cruel hallucination created by his imagination.

"To quote a cute, funny and wonderful guy: I don't care if I've known him 13 months or 13 years. He doesn't have the history we have." Crystal grinned. Her eyes gazed up at him.

Stan stared at her in amazement. "Are…are you telling me you left your fiancée and your wedding…for me?"

Crystal nodded, her cheeks turning redder by the second. "Stan, not having you in my life for me is a fate worse than death, I would rather take my chances with whatever it is that I feel about you than throw it all away for some half-ass marriage."

Stan could feel himself fly higher than he had ever flown before. His heart began to pound, the adrenaline pumping in his blood. The room started to spin. All he could see was her; her smile, her face and her brilliant eyes.

"Really? You mean it?" he asked, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"Yeah." Crystal replied. "I wanna be with you."

Suddenly, Crystal let out a scream as Stan picked her up in his arms, and spun her around, cheering and shouting.

"Put me down, you weirdo! I'm getting dizzy!" the girl yelled.

Stan stopped spinning, but still held on tight to her, her feet not touching the floor. "Oh my god, you don't know how happy this makes me! I swear, Crys, I meant every word I said last night! I really, truly do love you--"

Stan was stopped in his tracks when Crystal placed her hand on his face and kissed him. His face went tomato-red as her soft lips collided with his own. The kiss was sweeter than anything he had ever experienced in his life.

After a few seconds, Crystal broke the kiss and giggled, spotting Stan's massively red face.

"Can I borrow a shirt? This dress is killing me."

(\/)(")(")

"STAN?!" An extremely worried Sandy burst through the door of the apartment about two hours later.

"..Maybe it's a ransom plan and they have her hostage! Or maybe it's a government conspiracy against her father. Ohmygawd, what if Albanian drug dealers kidnapped her and forced her into prostitution like in that movie we saw?! OHMYGAWD, Sandyyyyyy?!"

"For the last time, Pashy, I'm sure she's fine!" Bijou comforted the blonde as they followed Sandy into the apartment. The other 12 Ham-Hams followed them inside, calling Stan's name.

"How can you not be worried?!" Pashmina's shrill voice made everyone stop to look at her. She was near-tears at this point. "How the hell does a bride walk out of her dressing room one minute, and suddenly vanish into thin air right before she has to walk down the aisle?! Someone must've taken her, I just know it!"

"Pashmina, calm down!" Nikki hugged Pashmina reassuringly. "If anything **did **happen to her, Stan'll know what to do. That's why we're here, remember? We need him if we want to find her!"

"STAN?!" Sandy called for her brother again, her own eyes threatening to tear up. "Stan!!" Her calls were responded with empty echoes.

"Oh no! They took Stan too!" Pashmina cried.

"Pashminaaa?" Nikki said.

Sandy ran towards his bedroom, remembering where she had last seen him. His door was closed as the green-eyed bridesmaid swung the door open. "Stan, Crys went miss--!"

The sight before her made her stop in her tracks.

A few seconds later, the Ham-Hams poked their heads from behind Sandy. "Stan! Crys went miss--!"

"Shh!" Sandy silenced the group. She pointed with wide eyes at Stan and Crystal, who had fallen fast asleep on his bed watching TV. Crystal was nuzzled on Stan's chest, while he had an arm lazily draped around her. The dress was off, the jewels were gone, the make-up was washed off and her hair was showered and in a ponytail. She was wearing one of Stan's large T-shirts and black leggings. There were empty bags of chips and candy wrappers on the floor and the bed. The end credits to "Death Star" were playing on the TV screen.

The gang could only stare with their jaws dropped at the sight. They all slowly walked into his room, tiptoeing to make sure not to wake them.

"But…but…!" they all stuttered out.

"But how?" Hamtaro asked.

"D-Did she just…**leave **to come here?" Boss exclaimed.

"But why?" Panda questioned.

Sandy could feel tears in the corner of her eyes as she stared at her brother's peaceful, smiling face. She knew exactly why.

"Oh…my gosh." Pashmina gasped out.

"…THAT IS **SO** ROMANTIC!!!" Nikki blurted out, bursting into tears.

"Shh! Nikki?!" the gang attempted to shush her, but it was too late.

"GAH!" Crystal jumped.

"Chocolate llamas!" Stan yelped out at the same time. They stared up at the gang and screamed in shock. The gang only yelled back, scared.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Stan cried.

"What are WE doing here?! What are YOU doing here?!" the Ham-Hams chorused, their fingers all pointed at Crystal.

"Meep...!" Crystal let out a squeak as all eyes lay on her. She looked at Stan, and they both turned scarlet-red. "W-Weeellll..." they both started.

"…I left." Crystal finished.

"WHY!?" the Ham-Hams sang. The eruption made Crystal and Stan sweatdrop.

"Beeeecause…."

"Because they're in **love!**"

"**WHAAAAAAT!?!?!" **everyone except Jingle, Sandy, and Nikki screamed out. They stared at the trio, who had chorused out the last line. Stan and Crystal were beet-red. Sandy and Nikki were crying their eyes out while Jingle smiled as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Jingle closed his eyes and repeated a line he had recited not too long ago.

"_We choose those we like; with those we love, we have no say in the matter..." _

(\/)(")(")

**A/N****: Squeeeeeeee!!!! Me finished!!! =D Although, I think that last sequence with the Hams rushing in should've been left out…I dunno, what do you guys think?? Please don't forget to review and lemme know what ya'll think? Like I said, this is my comeback story and I have to say, my skills might be a little rusty. **

**But I digress! Please review and be nice! ****:)**

**PS: If you wanna see what Crystal's dress looked like, check out my profile! I have the link to the dress that inspired the way I described it. **

**Love and kisses, **

**_Crystalgurl101 _**


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